Practitioners view dietetic roles for the 1980s.

A study was conducted among practitioners in Pennsylvania to obtain their opinions concerning essential entry-level competencies and those that they considered necessary when hiring and entry-level dietitian, and to determine how they felt about role specialization at the entry level or practice. The competencies identified as most critical for the entry-level dietitian were: (a) an understanding of the managerial processes of planning, organizing leading, evaluating, and controlling and their relationship to the management of human, material, and financial resources; (b) an understanding of the process, functions, and interrelationships of various systems of the human body; and (c) an ability to integrate knowledge of biological, social, and professional sciences into a comprehensive concept of human nutrition. A strong knowledge base, essential for the entry-level generalist, was indicated in the following areas: nutrition and disease, normal nutrition, food selection and planning, and food production systems. There was a perceived need for academic institutions to train both specialists and generalists in the 1980s.